J. J. Abrams (Super 8, Alias, Fringe, Lost) has excelled in television and movies particularly resurrecting Star Trek by reinventing its essence for new audiences while respecting its origins. In Star Trek Into Darkness, he expands on keys characters and continues his mastery of plot and non-stop action. As summer entertainment, it is a class act and sends the science fiction/adventure series on a spectacular trajectory. It is also the best Star Trek movie since The Wrath of Khan.
Captain
Kirk (Chris Pine) and Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) are pursued by a primitive tribe
on an alien planet as Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) attempts to prevent a
catastrophic volcanic explosion from within.
Their activities call into the question The Prime Directive where
nothing should alter a civilization from without. In fact, Kirk’s outrageous, rule-breaking
behavior gets him in hot water with mentor, Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) and
Starfleet. At the same time, a horrifying explosion in London reveals the presence
of a mysterious man (Benedict Cumberbatch) named John Harrison, who exhibits a
remarkable intellect and physical prowess. The cryptic Harrison is pursued to Kronos,
home planet to the warrior race of Klingons and the threat of all out war. Overseeing the mission directive is Admiral
Marcus (Peter Weller) whose presence is felt in unexpected ways. It all leads to a revelation that threatens
not only the Enterprise, but Starfleet and Earth.
As
the original TV series often dealt with contemporary issues, there are strong
parallels with current headlines in the form of terrorism. In fact much of the film has a grim, dark tone
as the crew must face a superior, ruthless adversary, and a couple scenes of
mass destruction have a 9/11 feel. There
are a number of references to the old TV series and original Trek films as names, locales, music, and
even dialogue are lifted and cleverly interjected. Tribbles, anyone? And you’ve got to love those retro uniforms
especially Saldana’s!
Pike
and Kirk have what amounts to a father-son relationship, and this is tested in
a pivotal moment. We witness this
relatively new crew as it becomes more cohesive under duress, and that is part
of the fun as we watch McCoy’s character and the beginnings of his amusing, trademark
gripes. There are plenty of heroics from
our stars, and Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) shine in key
moments. You only wish to see if the
classic trio (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy) could mix it up more, but you do see the
core beginnings of their dynamic bond. There
are strong, recurring themes of loyalty and sacrifice for the good of the
majority, or in other words, “the needs of the many…”
Cumberbatch,
(TVs current Sherlock Holmes) is
outstanding as a powerful adversary. Weller
is particularly effective as the imposing Admiral with a hidden agenda.
The
visual effects are impressively on display when the starship Enterprise explodes
into warp speed and when devastating terrorist acts decimate a major city. The pacing is quite good, so don’t think too
hard on credibility gaps. Where does
Harrison come from? Anybody check his
blood type? Why is Starfleet headquarters
virtually unguarded? And what’s the deal
on those torpedoes?
Abrams
is a master showman and he knows how to engineer cliffhangers upon
cliffhangers. The film has a memorable climax that will ring déjà vu with a twist,
but is nonetheless quite emotional. It
solidifies the Kirk-Spock relationship forever and could have served as one of
the best endings in Trekdom, but the filmmakers chose to springboard to another
exciting moment which leaves the door open for future adventures of the five
year kind. To say any more would spoil
things. A third film in this
installment would be hard pressed to surpass the energy and sheer acumen he demonstrates
in this sequel, but Abrams has proven he can followup a directing gig by remaining
the producer with another talented director taking the reigns and still achieve
spectacular results (see Mission
Impossible: Ghost Protocol). For the man who has been chosen to take
over Star Wars franchise, the sky’s the limit.
***1/2
of **** (add ½* for Star Trek fans)
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